Clinical thermometer.



ANo. 666,094. Patented lan. I5, |90l.

J. J. HICKS.

CLiNlGAL. THERMUIETEB.

(No Model.)

NITED V:STATES PATENT OFFICE. Y

JAMES J. HICKS, F LONDON, ENGLAND.

CLINICAL Tlfuamvlolvl ET'ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 666,094, dated January 15, 1901.

appiioauon'ied .my s1, 1900.

v siding at London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clinical Thermometers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, and for4 which I have made application for patent in Great Britain, dated May 8, `1900.

Heretofore it has been proposed to employ a thermometric tube having no scale or any kind of engraving thereon in combination with a graduated glass tube, into which thethermometric tube is inserted to enable the temperature to be read. 4 In such case thegraduated. tube was fixed in a protectingtube tting within and capable of rotation in relation to an outer protecting-tube, and such tubes were provided with openings in their sides which when coincident enabled the column of mercury and the graduations on the glass tube to be seen. The outer protecting'- tube was furnished with a -removable cap, which when replaced after the thermometric tube was placed within the graduated glass tube held the former in position with its bulb against the bottom end of the graduated tube.

The above described arrangement is clumsy, troublesome of manipulation, and liable to injury.

Now according to my invention I produce a neat, simple, and readily-manipulated at.'- rangement of parts in which the thermometric tube is less liable to fracture than in the former proposed arrangement.

I will describe my invention by the aid of the accempanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is an exterior View of the thermometric tube in position within its graduated case. Fig. 2 is an exterior view, partly in section, of the graduated case when made of glass. Fig. 3 is an exterior view, and Fig. 4 an end View, of the thermometric tube. Fig.' 5 is an exterior'view of a graduated case made of ebonite or other material than glass. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the upper end of the graduated case; and Fig. 7 an exterior view of the upper end of the thermometric tube, showing a slight modification.

In carrying my invention into eect I also employ a thermometric tube a, having no sean No. 25.415. (No man.)

- scale or any kind of engraving thereon, and

a graduated'outer tube b, into which the thermometric `tube is placed; but l dispense with the outer proteotingtubes heretofore proposed to be used, and according to my invention l tix the upper end of the thermometric tube a, in a cap a', having an extended head a2, preferably formed with two attened sides 'as t0 prevent rolling, and having a screwthread a4 immediately below such head a2 of preferably only two turns. I also fix the open end of the graduated tubeb withina collar b', having an internal screw-thread b2 to receive the screw-thread a4. The length of the graduated tube b in relation to the thermometric tube a, is suchv that when the cap a' ofthe latter is screwed fully home into the collar b the lower end of the bulb a*` shall be just free of the bottom of the-graduated tube, thereby avoiding the liability to fracture which existed in the former arrangement from the fact that in such former ar rangement the bulb was pushed closely against the bottom of the graduated tube. The thermometric tube a is also xed in its cap a. in such position that when fully screwed home in the graduated tube b the column of mercury shall face the divisions or scale of the graduated tube b. f

. The graduated tubeb may be made of glass, in which case it is a complete tube closedvat one end, as shown at Figs. 1 and 2; but it may be made of metal, ebonite, or other material than glass, i'nwhich latter cases a longitudinal opening bs would be made in the side thereof to enable the colu mn of mercury to be seen, and the scale would be marked close to the edge of such opening.

If desired, instead of employing screwthreads to secure the thermometric tube within the graduated tube the arrangement represented at Figs. 6 and 7 may be adopted. In this modification the upper end of the graduated tube b and the 'cap a' of the thermometric tube are made to fit each other, and in order to insure the thermometric column .to be placed in correct relation with the divisions or scale I form a bayonet-groove b4 within the upper end of the graduated tube b, and I tix a pin a5 on the cap al', so that when the pin is caused to enterl such groove and-thenthe thermometric tube turned till the pincomes to the end of the horizontal part of said groove the two parts shall be in correct relation with each other.

What I claim as my invention, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, iss-1 1. In a clinical thermometer,- the combination of a plain thermometric tube, a. cap fixed on the upper end of said tube, an extended head to said cap, fiattened sides to such extended head, an external screw-thread immediately'below said head, la graduated outer tube closed at one end and slightly longer than the plain thermometrictube, acollar -xed on the open end ofthe graduated tube,

`and aninternal screw-thread within the collar to receive the screw-thread of the cap on the thermometric tube, which latter is so fixed in relation' toits cap that when screwed fully home into the graduated'tube, the bulb shall not touch the bottom of said graduated tube, and the thermometric column shall face the divisions or scale of the graduated tube, substantially as herein set forth.

-2. In la clinical thermometer, the combination of a plain thermometric tube; a graduated outer tube open at top slightly longer than the plain thermometric tube and adapted to expose to View the mercury column in the thermometric tube contained in said outer tube; asuspension-cap fixed on the upper end-of.the'thermometric tube, and means of connection between the said, cap andthe top of the outer tube whereby the thermometric tube is suspended in fixed relation to the outer tube and to the scale thereon and with 

